Neither man was okay with that.
“I’ll contact you when I’m in the air. You stay safe, and shoot to kill, Cal. Don’t worry about the consequences. I won’t send anyone there but us, so keep that door locked.”
Callen hung up, pulled the chair across the room, and placed it against the door. Now he could face the place and not worry about anyone sneaking up on him.
It was going to be a long two hours before his backup arrived, and probably the longest of his life.
For now, he was being haunted by what might happen to all of them.
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
Elizabeth Blackhawk sat behind her large mahogany desk, finishing her paperwork. She only had a few more signatures, and she could call it done. While she hated doing it, her personal assistant, Jameson, was the king of order.
He would leave them all on her desk and code them by color—blue for budget, silver for staff, and red for emergency. That morning, it was all blue, and that was her kind of day.
It was a cakewalk, and she couldn’t be happier.
The forms were in for new Kevlar, lab equipment, and guns. She trusted him completely, and she simply had to sign her name on the dotted line.
It made her life easy.
Honestly, it was more than that. She wasn’t thinking about work as she placed her John Hancock on the lines.
She was dwelling on a man.
Not Ethan, but this time on Callen.
She missed him, but she had something to tell him. That morning, she didn't feel right. She was lightheaded after her run, and that wasn’t normal for her. What she suspected, since she’d been down this road before, was that she was pregnant.
After two months of him jumping her bones in every place he could think of, the man had finally succeeded in knocking her up.
When she lied to Ethan, making up an appointment, she rushed right out to the drug store. The pregnancy test she bought and took inside the ladies’ room outside the morgue proved it.
Only, she was pretty sure she was further along than just a couple weeks. With Charlie, she didn't feel this way until almost three months.
She just wasn’t sure how that was possible.
What really confused her was that they thought she’d gotten pregnant earlier, but then she began spotting.
So, she took that as a sign that Callen had to keep trying.
She must have been wrong.
This was pretty damn funny. Callen had gotten his wish, and she couldn’t wait to see him again so she could break the good news. Once she was reunited, she was spilling the beans. He was going to be so damn happy too! This was his big Christmas present, and it couldn’t be brought back.
It looked like both men got their wish. Their tribe was growing.
Elizabeth leaned back in her chair and grinned. She was going to be a momma again. While she told them she didn't want more kids, she was warming up to it. Another baby would be sweet. Now that Charlie was getting bigger, that would mean she could still keep that lingering smell of baby lotion and powder around her.
She loved kids.
If she had her way, she’d have a house full. The only thing that held her back was that they had dangerous jobs. Any, or all of them, could not make it home. That was especially true since they went out in the field together all the time.
That was why she hesitated.
If something happened, Wyler would have his hands full, and he wasn’t a young man. No one had family other than him, and if they were gone…
Who would take care of her babies?
Her immediate thought was Livy and Gabe, and then she had to laugh. That would be eleven kids under one roof. Yeah, that was perfect.
He’d be tortured.
She laughed.
What had gotten her to change her mind was that she couldn’t worry about the what if’s. You only live once, so they should have whatever made them happy. Plus, this was something Callen really needed to heal.
So, she was going to pop out another baby.
Secretly, she understood Callen’s worries about Catherine growing up to be just like her mother. Elizabeth always prayed that she’d be strong enough to make her kids stay close.
She didn't have anyone to call sibling, well…her crazy brother—but he didn't count. His mother had made him a monster.
Now Elizabeth had to pray Cat would be more like her, and less like her DNA. If that was possible, she was calling in all her favors with anyone in the great beyond.
For Cat’s sake, she wanted her to grow up loved. Hate could twist and distort so much, and she wanted to save her from that fate.
Unlike her mother.
As she put her last signature on the paper, she heard the telltale footsteps of her husband. Since their offices were side by side, he snuck in all the time.
When she looked up, his face said it all.
“What happened to Callen?”
Ethan shouldn’t be shocked that his wife just knew. She was very astute and was often able to pick things up easily. Surely, she read him.
Well, so much for breaking her in easily.
“We have a situation.”
She wanted to be sick. “What happened to Callen, Ethan? Is he hurt? Just say it before I throw up.”
He crossed to her and pulled her into his arms. “He’s okay, but we have a problem.”
Then he told her everything.
While he didn't want to, he didn't have a choice. His badass woman would kick down doors and rush headlong into it either way. It was best she went in with everything they had. It was the only way he could protect her.
Knowledge was power.
Her being distracted was the last thing he wanted.
Elizabeth listened without saying a word. As Ethan broke it all down, she knew what had to be done. There was no choice in her mind. Callen needed them.
“When do we leave?”
He wasn’t shocked about that either. Of course that was going to be her first response. It was playing out like his worst fears.
“Elizabeth.”
“No! Don’t do this, Ethan. I need to be part of this. If I don’t, someone is coming after our kids. I don’t know who the hell Bonnie and Clyde are, but I won’t risk my baby birds. Fuck that. It’s not happening. They wanted my attention, well they now have it.”
She thought about the baby in her belly, and she wondered if Ethan would lose it if she told him. While she wanted to tell Callen first, this might be a good time…
Ethan started pacing. “I’m freaked out, baby. I can’t help but think this is just like when I was abducted. You got called out, and I nearly died.”
Yeah, on second thought, this was a bad time. Ethan was seconds from losing it too, and he was the rational one. It looked like she should keep her mouth shut.
“I’m aware.”
He ran his hands through his hair as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders. At that moment, they were damned if they did, and damned if they didn't. There was no way around this one, and he knew it.
“We have this. It’s just another case. We have to go in thinking that. If we make it personal, we’re going to trip ourselves up.”
He agreed.
“Trust in me. I can do this.”
He glanced over at her. He had all the faith in the world in his wife. She was tough, smart, and deadly when she focused on something. “Come here.”
She didn't hesitate. The second Elizabeth was against his body, Ethan’s mouth found hers. The kiss they shared was heated and didn't hide anything that he was feeling.
He was raw.
Angry.
Bothered.
When her fingers slid up his arms, and into his raven black hair, Elizabeth wouldn’t let him go. Ethan needed this, and she’d help him through it.
They could beat anything.
They were indestructible.
When he opened his eyes, the blue-black was so deep she believed she’d fall into it. Elizabeth was
lost to anyone but him or Callen. These men were her soul mates.
“Thank you. I needed that. I had to refocus.”
She dropped her head to his shoulder. Out there in the world, she was badass Director Elizabeth Whitefox-Blackhawk, but in that moment, she was his wife.
Now she could take a moment to lean.
“Promise me our babies will be safe and Wyler too. If anything happens to them…” She couldn’t even finish her thought. “I need you to promise me because if you say the words, I know they’ll be true. You’ve never let me down.”
The pressure was on, and he knew it. Ethan could feel her stress.
Her body vibrated with it.
“They will be. I’m calling Gabe and having him put them someplace safe. We’ve been compromised. Our home’s location is supposed to be kept secret. Now we have to hope this doesn’t get out. If it does, we’ll have anyone with a vendetta on our asses.”
“We’re going to move!” she demanded. Whether they loved their home or not, there was no way any of them could risk the family. They had had high profile jobs, and that was dangerous. If they hid again, they’d have time to be safe.
“We can, baby. If that’s what it takes, we’ll pack up and move.”
She relaxed.
Ethan didn't. They’d put many people away. The last thing they needed was for someone to find out where they lived and make a visit—AGAIN.
His heart kicked in his chest.
Yeah, they’d been there and done that before. His crazy half-brother took his wife before, and Ethan wasn’t willing to risk anyone else being hurt.
It wasn’t happening again.
“Gabe will get them out. Hell! I’m going to ask he brings them there. I figure with all the chaos at his place, what are four more kids? Ten should be manageable.”
She snorted. “Yeah, he’ll love that—two dogs, four kids, and Wyler. I hope he has some aspirin handy. It’s going to be one hell of a sleepover.”
Ethan stared down into her icy blue eyes as he tucked a black curl behind her ear. “I want you to head down to the lab and tell them we’re heading out. You handle those kids, and I’ll handle our biological ones.”
She knew the team wasn’t going to be happy. The second she gave them their marching orders into the field, the shit was going to hit the fan.
Oh, and the whining was going to commence, and she couldn’t blame them.
“I know, Lyzee,” Ethan said, reading the look on her face, “but we need them there to pull evidence.”
“The boxes?” she asked.
He nodded. “Have you ever known anything good to come in a box left with a note like that?”
Maybe it was because she was a Fed that her mind automatically went there. “You’re thinking remains.”
“Yes, I am.”
From the look on Ethan’s face, she could see the tension. He was stressed to the max, and she didn't doubt that he was probably right.
“Okay. I’ll tell them while you’re mobilizing everything. While you’re tied up, I’ll head home to pack for us.”
Ethan shook his head. “Wait! Not alone, you’re not. You’re not wandering around anywhere. If they know all about you, I’m not taking that chance. I nearly lost you once, and I’m not going there again.”
Elizabeth, had she not been so rattled, would have likely lost it. Instead, she tried to discuss it rationally with him. “I have a gun and my brain. I think I’m…”
He cut her off. “No! You’re not. You don’t get it, do you? Someone wants you dead! You’re not going anywhere alone.”
A red flush rushed up his neck and to his face. Ethan was one step away from stroking out.
In fact, his shouting was getting louder.
“Okay, Ethan, calm down. I won’t go alone. We’ll take a couple agents and have them escort us all back.”
He closed his eyes, feeling remorse that he just yelled at his wife. That wasn’t what he wanted to do, but the control was slipping. There was that fear brewing in his belly as the claws of terror were ripping his insides to shreds.
“I’m sorry, Lyzee, baby. I didn't mean to talk to you like that. I just…”
She touched his cheek. “It’s okay. I’ll take the techs and doctors, you handle Gabe. I’ll meet you in a few, and we’ll head home, okay? I can wait for you, and we’ll handle it together.”
He was grateful she didn't fight. He was worried about his brother, their kids, and their safety. The last thing he needed was a battle of wills with his wife.
As she pulled away, he was reluctant to let her go. “Elizabeth?”
She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Yeah, Cowboy?”
“If this goes wrong and something…”
Elizabeth smiled, trying to reassure him that she’d be fine. “I’ll fight for my life and hold out until my men can save my ass.”
That didn't make him feel better, but they needed to be on the same page.
She had to live.
They were expendable, but the mother of their children wasn’t. They couldn’t let CJ, EJ, Cat, and Charlie end up motherless. It screwed them up, and the kids had to keep her in their lives.
No matter what.
He waited, quietly watching as Elizabeth headed toward the elevator, lost in her own world. Ethan never looked away from her until the elevator doors closed—that’s when he made the call.
When Gabe answered, he sounded busy. “Rothschild.”
“It’s Ethan. We have a problem. I need your help.”
That had the man pausing.
“What’s happened?”
He told him everything, and this time, he didn't hold any of the emotion back from his voice. Ethan Blackhawk was praying that the man they called family was going to be on their side.
“Shit! That’s bad. You have to get her as far from there as possible.”
The news got worse. “Actually, she’s going in.”
There was dead silence on the other end of the line, and Ethan didn't need to know what the man was thinking. At that moment, Gabe had to be contemplating his sanity.
Frankly, so was he.
Ethan knew he had to be insane.
“Are you sure about this, Ethan? It doesn’t sound like the best idea at the moment.”
Oh, he knew it was a terrible idea, but what could he do. This was Elizabeth they were talking about. She didn't like to play by the rules on a slow day, let alone one where she was being threatened. The second this note targeted her children, she was going to make it personal.
That was the way she rolled.
“I will be once all our bases are covered. I need you to get my kids and father out. Can you stash them someplace safe?”
Ethan knew it was almost Christmas, and this wasn’t a great idea. The kids were likely going to miss out on the fun of presents, family, and possibly their mother. While Ethan hated shuffling them around on the holiday, he also couldn’t stomach the idea of them looking over their shoulders every second of the day.
“I can get them out. I’ll bring them here.”
It touched Ethan that he didn't have to ask. It was what he was hoping Gabe would do.
“We can double up the boys with Gabriel, and the girls can bunk together. Wyler can have a room with Charlie. That way, it’s pretty normal.”
“I know it’s Christmas, Gabe. Your family probably has plans…”
Gabe shut him down.
“You are my family, and I mean it. Your kids are safe here. I know I wouldn’t be able to go out in the field if I thought my kids were wearing a bull’s-eye. I’ll keep them here, we’ll get them ready for Christmas, and they’ll be safe. I’ll call up some agents who will be more than happy to babysit my house.”
“It sucks that we won’t be with them.”
Gabe knew how shitty he had to be feeling. “The good news is that they won’t remember any of this. The kids are still young. With time, they’ll forget. The bad news is, you never will, and that’s one of the iss
ues with our careers. It’s a sacrifice, and this is a huge one.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“Safety trumps memories, right?”
He agreed.
“If I need you?”
“You call any time of the day. I can always post more agents here, and then head down to help if you need me. I don’t mind.”
His sacrifice was touching. They’d been through a lot the last few months with Oracle and the mistrust. Now they were rebuilding what had once been there.
“Thanks, Gabe.”
“You do whatever it takes, Ethan. I have your back. All you have to do is call. If you miss Christmas, I’ll make sure your children don’t.”
He appreciated that. “I’ll keep you updated.”
With that, Ethan disconnected the call, and he had to admit, a little of the weight was off his shoulders.
He thought about his wife.
Honestly, Blackhawk had the easier job. The Dragon Slayer was mellowing out since he’d been saved by them twice—once over the blackmail, and once over Oracle.
Now, he only hoped his wife would fare as well against the men in the lab. She was about to be the Grinch who stole all of their Christmases.
And it sucked.
Big time.
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
Morgue
Elizabeth hated doing this to them. She truly believed that she had the hardest working people in the universe under her and Ethan.
They truly were the best.
Because of that, they were always given time off at the holidays because it was a way to cut back on burn out. Her team played in the dead all day long. They stared at broken, destroyed people, and had to put them together to solve a crime.
It wasn’t easy work.
It was soul crushing.
Now she was going to take it away.
Elizabeth felt like a total asshole for doing it too, but she needed them. Callen was in danger, someone was after her family, and she was likely the reason. She was easy to dislike.
All she could hope was they’d cut her a break and not bust her balls too much.
What made it worse was that Tony Magnus was going to be getting married in a little over a week, and both Elizabeth and Chris were his best ‘men’. There were preparations that had to be made, and they were dumping it all in Jaxon’s lap.
Slay Bells Ring (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 12) Page 4
